Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-15
A CORONEr OF MISERY.
The Fate OF a South CaroIins Girl Who
Welded Titls-She Becomes
the Wife OF
An Italian Count, aud After a Long COURSE
eft Brutality is Shut Up in an Il
Italian Mad House. -
New York Star.

q Miss Alexine Chisholm, a favorite
daughter in one Of the wealthiest AID
most distinguished families OF South
Carolina. she was brilliantly educated,
handsome, and possessed of s. voice OF
phenomenal beauty.
After the close OF the war she went
abroad with her father, and while travel
ing on the Continent made the scquaint-
ance of Count Leonetti, who, as the Sc
quel shows, proved to re mere adven-
turer Of the most depraved Italian type.
Putting his empty title and pretensions
against her American gold, he SO far sue
ceeded in negotiating himself in the az
fections Of the attractive young lady as
to win her hand. In less than year she
became the Countess Leonetti, and the
occupant of q palace in Florence.
For time everything went we'll with
her, but finally the passionate lover un-
yelled his true character and Alexina
found herself deserted for the gambling
salon and the demi monde. Heavy drafts
were made upon her purse for his cup
port amid tlese designations, and the
goodnatured father humored the belief
that after q while the gay Italian would
SOW his wild oats aud settle down to q
more quiet life. But he was mistaken.
The more the Count received the more he
demanded.
One day, on returning home, the Count
ess found installed in her place a woman
who had Ofileiated as her maid. This was
too much for proud nature to endure,
a1d the Countess, taking such of her
jewels as her husband had not pawned
or sold, returned 20 Charleston with her
father.
The Count now played another role.
lie pretended penitence and reformation.
He wrote beseeChing letters to tie effect
that his fathers death hsd secured to him
property that before he had been unable
to touch. Ia short, he wanted her TO
come back to her Italian home and be once
more happy.
Womanlike, she yielded and rejoined
her hus oand, leaving her father in Amer
lea. But it was only to be once more dis
appointed. She found that her place was
virtually filed by the French maid, who
was nominally retained in the capacity of
hair dresser to the Countess. Meanwhile
the drafts upon her exchequer continued
until the demand became simply eXorbi-
tant.
One morning while arranging the hair
of the Countess, the maid brought her s
cup Of coffee. 1t was drank and in few
minutes violent spasms occurred. A
physician was summoned, and, after ques-
tonlng the patient, asked for the cup for
the purpose of examining its contents.
The maid declared that they had been
thrown away, anG st the same time Of
feTed her glass of wine.
Take Ii awsy-nOthing more from
yOu," said the Countess. al have been
poisoned, doctor, in my own house"
"Poisoned in the palace of g Leonetti
One Of the oldest houses in Florence
impossible, madame"
"Oh, doctor" she cried, "save me!"-
but before sne could finish the sentence
she became delirious, and for days re
mained in an unconscious state.
When reason returned she found her
self in 8 strange place, surrounded by
strange looking and acting people. II
was q lunqtic asylum, to which she had
been conveyed by orders of the Count,
with instructions that she should not be
allowed to communicate by sign, word or
writing with any person outside of the in
stitution. In Italy husbands control
over the wife is absolute, and conse-
quently his instructions were carried out
to the letter.
One day, however, the Countess man
aged to have letter conveyed 70 the
American consul in which she begged
him to come to the asylum. He did so,
but was refused admittsuce. During this
Incarceration the Count was drawing
upon her father in Charleston under the
pretense that she personally required the
money il order to meet the heavy charges
of the institution to which she had
voluntarily retired for treatment. These
drafts were duly honored, until at last,
:he suspicion of Mr.. Chisholm being
aroused, he himself communicated with
the American charge d'sffalrs in Florence,
requesting MIN to make su investigation
of the circumstances. The latter did SO,
but il YVES only by the exercise of his
official authority that he was enabled
TO obtain personal interview with the
Countess, when he learned the facts
which determined him to take steps for
her immediate release.
After much trouble the latter was Sc
cured, snd, shattered in health snd
bioken in spirit, she was sent back to
America, accompanied by female COM
panion. The father, who was also in
feeble health, met Ter on her arrival; but
the meeting was terrible one. The
daughter, with whom he had parted in
the bloom Of youth, had returned to his
arms mental and physical wreck. The
brown, luxuriant hair had turned to gray,
the graceful figure had lost its rounded
outlines, aud the brillisnt mind was
almost blank. II was hoped that the
change Of scene and the revival of old as
soCiations~would accomplish cure, but
in this her friends were destined TO be
disappointed. The desth of her father 9
few weeks later only served to increase
the burden she had already borne, and
practically she retired from the world,
denying herself in her melancholy even to
her old servants.
Now and then her beautiful voice could
be heard ringing out in the quiet stiffness
OF the night, and guests of the hotel il
which she resided would gather around
her door and marvel, for the SD story
was known to but few. So the weeks and
months passed by.
LAST week all that was mortal Of
AleXins, the Countess Leonetti, was con
signed to the grave, and tears fell from
the eyes Of many friend, who, but g
little while ago, envied her in the owner
ship of proud title that had cost life